Haecceity is the quality of ‘this-ness’ in a ‘thing-in-itself’. - Deleuze Studies

I wrote this on the tram the other night. I thought the Baron's discovery of an obscure word meaning 'thisness' merited not just a poem, but a whole scene out of My Fair Lady....

THE LOST SCENES OF MY FAIR LADY - THE HAECCEITY INCIDENT

PROFESSOR HENRY HIGGINS:It’s the thisness it’s the thatnessIt’s the total where-you’re-atness,It’s the ofness of the theness,The A-B-C and 1-2-3-ness,It’s the most specific thingness,This all-encompassingness -Haecceity!

So, if you’re on-and-offingEnough to set you coughing,Then the nowish and the thennishAnd the soonly and the whennishAnd the willish and the isnessWill indicate your business -Haecceity!

CHORUS OF CHAMBERMAIDS:

Haecceity!

PROFESSOR HENRY HIGGINS:

Haecceity!

ELIZA DOOLITTLE:Garn!

PROFESSOR HENRY HIGGINS:Oh, go on Eliza, it’s really quite simple, even for such an insalubrious specimen as yourself.

ELIZA DOOLITTLE:Garn!

PROFESSOR HENRY HIGGINS:Yes, that’s right…

ELIZA DOOLITTLE:It’s the garnish of the garning,Of the garning in the marningAt the offness of the offalOn wot’s me favver’s waffle,It’s who-how-why-when-wattlish -It’s ainting – no – it’s nottlish…Haecceity!

CHORUS OF CHAMBERMAIDS:

Haecceity!

ELIZA DOOLITTLE:

Haecceity!

PROFESSOR HENRY HIGGINS:Precisely!

ELIZA DOOLITTLE:Well, I don’t like it, whatever it is, or isn’t.

PROFESSOR HENRY HIGGINS:But Eliza, don’t you see?It’s the little itty-itting,The it-it-iterating,Of this teensy-tiny-bitting,And it’s really rather fitting,That this should be the whatnessThat concerns the fundamental thatness -Haecceity!